Category Archives: Barbecue

If you ever wanted to know what my top ten favorite spices or herbs were, turmeric would definitely be on that list. I love cooking with turmeric. Turmeric’s vibrant yellow color and earthy, pungent and ginger like flavor marries so nicely with dishes that contain chicken, beef, eggs, tofu, vegetables and rice. For those who are unfamiliar with this spice, turmeric can be purchased in either dried or in fresh rhizome form.

Ground Turmeric

Notice the bright yellow color of ground turmeric? Next time, be sure to add a few teaspoons to your favorite stir fry!

Fresh Turmeric Rhizomes

When selecting fresh turmeric, be sure to look for unbruised, firm, and smooth skinned rhizomes. Fresh turmeric packs more flavor that dried. However, dried turmeric is much more common and easier to find. There’s no shame in using dried turmeric. I buy mine in bulk all the time.

My Grilled Thai Turmeric Chicken is an easy to make yet, an exotic tasting dish. It’s made with succulent boneless skinless chicken thighs marinated overnight in a fragrant turmeric spice blend with sweet brown sugar, coriander, garlic, white pepper, fish and soy sauces. I like to serve it alongside a scoop or two of fluffy white rice and some thinly sliced cucumbers. It’s simply delicious! Enjoy! Tessa

Ingredients:

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs

5 tsp garlic paste

2 Tbs brown sugar

1 1/2 Tbs fish sauce

1 1/2 Tbs light soy sauce

2 tsp ground turmeric

2 tsp ground coriander

1/4 tsp ground white pepper

garnish with fresh cilantro sprigs

Add all of the ingredients to a covered container and refrigerate the chicken mixture at least four hours or overnight. Toss the chicken on a medium hot barbecue grill or grill pan and discard the marinade. Be watchful of the chicken, turning occasionally, being careful not to burn. Cook until the juices run clear or the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 170 degrees Fahrenheit. Makes 8 servings.

If you are looking for a simple to make and yet an exotic tasting way to prepare chicken, then you are in for a real treat. Indonesian grilled chicken is also called Ayam panggang or ayam bakar. There are so many versions of it, ranging from sticky and sweet, to hot and spicy. My version of Indonesian Grilled Chicken tends to be on the sweet side, for my chicken is marinated in sweet Indonesian soy sauce, ginger, garlic, coriander, turmeric and white pepper. It’s similar to my chicken satay recipe but without all the fuss of chopping and threading the meat onto bamboo skewers. It’s super easy to make and tastes fantastic! Serve with a scoop or two of steamed white rice, sliced cucumber and for those who love fiery food, add a teaspoon or two of sambal oelek in the marinade or serve it on the side. Enjoy! Tessa

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs

1/8 cup Kecap Manis (Indonesian Sweet Soy Sauce)

2 tsp. ground coriander

1 – 2 tsps. ground turmeric

1 – 2 tsps. ground ginger

1 tsp. or one clove minced garlic

1/8 tsp. white pepper (or to taste)

1 Tbsp. water (optional, to thin marinade)

2 tsp. sambal oelek (optional)

Add all of the ingredients to a covered container and refrigerate the chicken mixture at least four hours or overnight. Toss the chicken on a medium hot barbecue grill and discard the marinade. Be watchful of the chicken, turning occasionally, being careful not to burn. Cook until the juices run clear or the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 170 degrees Fahrenheit. Makes 4 servings.

Grilling chicken has got to be one of my all time favorite ways to prepare dinner for my friends and family. I generally prefer to use boneless skinless chicken thighs because they’re moister and more flavorful than a boneless skinless chicken breast. My Grilled Blood Orange Chicken is easy to make and tastes great sliced on top of a fresh green salad, chopped up in warm soft tortillas garnished with crunchy cabbage, spicy salsa and lime or simply served with a side of rice and steamed vegetables. Double or triple the recipe for some fantastic chicken leftovers! Enjoy! Tessa

Toss all ingredients in a covered container and let marinade in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight. Toss any remaining marinade. Place on medium hot barbecue grill or grill pan. Turn chicken when halfway cooked. Cook until juices run clear or the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 170 degrees Fahrenheit. Pull from grill, let chicken rest for about 5 minutes covered. Place on serving plate and garnish with sprigs of cilantro. Makes 4 servings..

This last spring while shopping for plants for my garden I stumbled upon a Cuban Oregano plant. I’ve never seen or heard of Cuban Oregano before and it was so much different looking than the Italian or Greek Oregano that I have growing in large pots on my back patio. The leaves were thicker, almost succulent like and they were lighter in color than the variety I use for Italian and Mediterranean dishes. What I also noticed is that it had a wonderful herbaceous smell and flavor that would be perfect with chicken, pork or even lamb.

Do you see how thick the leaves are? They are fleshy and soft to the touch, almost velvety in nature. I picked a few sprigs and thought of making a marinade for some chicken that I was going to prepare for dinner that evening. I tasted one of the leaves first to get an idea of how much to use. It was fairly aromatic and had a lovely flavor. With that in mind, I was thinking of making a marinade that had a Mexican or Latin American profile. That meant lime juice, cilantro and garlic would be great in addition to cumin, pepper and onion. I pulled together my ingredients and marinated the chicken for about 4 hours before tossing on the hot grill. Luckily, I wrote down my recipe for it turned out fabulous! Both Bruce and I loved it! As a result, this marinade is a definite keeper. Chop up any leftover chicken and fill warm corn or flour tortillas for delicious soft tacos for a quick and easy dinner the next day. Enjoy! Tessa

Ingredients:

1/2 cup olive oil

1/3 cup onion

1/3 cup lime juice

1/3 cup cilantro

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

2 1/2 Tbs Cuban oregano

4 tsp garlic paste

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)

1/2 tsp pepper (or to taste)

3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

garnish with lime wedges and sprigs of Cuban oregano

Toss all ingredients except for the chicken in a blender. Blend for a few seconds until all the ingredients are mixed well. Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for at least 4 – 6 hours before cooking. Place chicken on the barbecue or grill pan on medium high heat. Discard marinade. Cook chicken, turning occasionally, until the juices run clear or the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Remove from heat and let chicken rest for about 5 minutes prior to serving. Serve with lime wedges and garnish with the Cuban oregano. Makes about 8 servings.

The year 2013 is quickly coming to a close and I wanted stop and say hello and squeeze in one last recipe for the year. For so many dumb reasons, 2013 has not been the best year for me and frankly, I really look forward to a clean slate in 2014. You know, you just have to realize that some years are just like that. We’ve all had those years. Unfortunately, it is what it is. By late spring of this past year, I knew that I had to just had to put my head down, grit my teeth and push through it. And I did. It was hard. I endured a few bumps and bruises, spilled a few tears but I made it through 2013 in one piece and with my chin held high. This next year I plan on devoting more time to my blog, taking a much needed fly away tropical vacation with Bruce and most importantly, focus on simplifying my life. Oh, and I really would like to take a photography class… Sounds like a brilliant idea doesn’t it?

Last week, I was thinking about making a batch of teriyaki sauce for some grilled salmon that I wanted to prepare later on in the work week. This time, I wanted to prepare something different than the usual (but, delicious) teriyaki sauce that I make for my family. I wanted a sauce that was sweet, spicy and packed a bit of heat. My Spicy Teriyaki Sauce turned out to be just the ticket. It’s great drizzled over grilled chicken, fish, tofu or beef. For even more flavor, marinate your protein ingredients in the Spicy Teriyaki Sauce prior to tossing on the grill. Maybe even use it in stir fried vegetables or noodles. My Spicy Teriyaki Sauce is super simple to make and tastes delicious! With that said, I hope that you will have a wonderful and prosperous 2014! Enjoy! Tessa

Ingredients:

1 cup light soy sauce

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup mirin

3 tsp garlic paste

1 tsp ginger paste

2 Tbs corn starch

2 Tbs garlic chili sauce (or sambal oelek)

1 Tbs toasted sesame seeds

In a medium sized sauce pan whisk together all the ingredients. Taste the sauce and add more garlic chili sauce if desired. Place over medium low heat, cook for 30 minutes or so, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, let cool and pour in a clean airtight container. Store refrigerated for up two weeks. Makes about 2 cups.

I finally had another well earned day off and let me tell you, it was great! It was so amazing to spend a leisurely day at home and in my garden doing absolutely nothing. The house was quiet most of the day until the unthinkable occurred. While assembling some fresh fruit smoothies for Bruce and I the other morning is when it happened… Neither Bruce or I saw it coming. Everything appeared normal and all looked fine as I dropped in some gorgeous bright strawberries, blueberries and bright orange mango chunks into one of my most cherished kitchen appliances. As I secured the lid, the base of my blender appeared to be tightly fastened to the glass pitcher before I pushed the start button. Within a matter of seconds, I shredded the motorized gears and destroyed the base unit, rendering my blender completely useless.

What completely “frosted my cookies” about the incident was that I received that blender as a gift from my mother many years ago. I loved that blender. It was a beautiful bright red KitchenAid and it was in perfect running condition before I destroyed it… And the smoothie ingredients? Not salvageable either. All went straight into the garbage can.

Well. I have to tell you. There is a bright side to the story. I have a new blender. My husband Bruce felt pity for me and within a few hours he brought me down to Macy’s to pick out a replacement to help dry my tears. Before we left our home, I did my homework, and read the blender reviews on the internet prior to purchasing the new blender. First of all, I avoided purchasing a unit with a similar design. I wanted something with a one piece construction rather than three. I wanted a quality blender that was sturdy, with high wattage and really easy to clean. Surprisingly, Bruce did not even bat an eye at the price. We simply walked into the store, I pointed at what I wanted, he lifted the box off the shelf and pulled out his credit card from his wallet. What a sweet man! Or rather, I should say, a very sweet intelligent man. He really likes his smoothies.

While all the fuss was going on, I had placed some chicken thighs and legs in a tangy grapefruit marinade in the refrigerator for dinner later that day. The marinade is a wonderful combination of flavors with fresh squeezed grapefruit juice, lime juice, garlic, Sazon Goya seasoning, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper. I marinated the chicken for a few hours before tossing on the grill. My grilled grapefruit chicken is easy to make and has a wonderful Mexican inspired flavor. Enjoy! Tessa

Grapefruit Chicken on the grill…

Ingredients:

2 – 3 pounds chicken thighs and legs

2 grapefruit (juiced)

1/3 cup olive oil

1 Tbs lime juice

1 Tbs sugar

1 1/2 tsp garlic paste

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (I used more)

2 packets Sazon Goya seasoning (cilantro and anchiote blend)

salt and pepper to taste

Whisk together the grapefruit juice, olive oil, lime juice, sugar, garlic paste, cayenne pepper, Sazon Goya seasoning, salt and pepper. Add the chicken pieces, cover with plastic wrap and marinade in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. Turn chicken at least once. Heat up your grill and place chicken on medium high heat. Throw away the marinade. Cook until juices run clear and the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees. Remove from grill, place on serving platter, garnish with cilantro and serve. Makes about 4 servings.

Now that the spring in Southern Oregon is in full force and the weather is warm, I prefer to prepare many of our meals outside on the backyard barbecue. Our barbecue sits out on the back deck only a few short steps from the kitchen. When barbecuing meals for our family, I simply roll the barbecue in front of the sliding glass door so I can easily keep an eye on the grill temperature and quickly deal with any flare ups as they may occur.

During the work week, I often cook fish for dinner for Bruce and myself. I love to cook fish because it is quick, easy, healthy and most importantly, we both enjoy it. What I enjoy about living in Southern Oregon is that we have access to some really great species of fish. For local fish, Chinook salmon, rainbow trout, bass and steelhead top the list. If we take a short drive west to the Oregon Coast, we have access to ling cod, tuna, and snapper fresh from the ocean.

Bear Creek earlier this spring….

Bear Creek is a tributary of the Rogue River here in Southern Oregon. Bear Creek runs through the middle of the Rogue Valley and during certain times of the year, you can actually see salmon and steelhead making their journey back from the ocean to their spawning grounds a few miles upstream. Bear Creek is home to many species of plants and animals including otters, beavers, ducks, and turtles.

Of all the fish that I cook for my family, steelhead is one of my favorite fish to prepare. Steelhead trout lead a different lifestyle as compared to the other species of trout that inhabit our local creeks, lakes and reservoirs. It’s an anadromous fish and that means it is born in the fresh water, spends most of its life in the salt water ocean and returns later in life back to the fresh water stream where it was born to spawn.

My Grilled Steelhead Trout is simple to prepare and perfect for a busy weekday meal. Steelhead trout is similar in texture and taste to salmon. Just marinate the fresh fillets in a homemade teriyaki sauce, toss on the grill and within minutes dinner is done. Enjoy! Tessa

Ingredients:

12-16 ounce steelhead fillet (use salmon if you prefer)

1/2 cup teriyaki sauce (see recipe below)

toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Wash and skin the steelhead fillet. Cut the fish into large serving sized pieces. Marinate the fish in teriyaki sauce for at least 1/2 hour. Heat up the barbecue and lightly oil the grates. Place fillets on hot barbecue. If you don’t have a barbecue, that’s okay… Feel free to prepare the fish on a grill pan on your stove or broil it in your oven. Cook for only a few minutes, flipping fish only once. Fish is done when it begins to flake with a fork. Be sure to not over cook. Remove from heat, drizzle with teriyaki sauce and serve. Makes 2 – 3 servings.

Teriyaki Sauce Ingredients:

1 cup soy sauce

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup mirin (Japanese sweet wine)

3 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp minced ginger

2 Tbs cornstarch

In a medium sized saucepan whisk together soy sauce, sugar, mirin, garlic, ginger, and cornstarch. On medium low, cook mixture stirring occasionally for a half an hour or so until mixture has thickened. Let cool. Any leftover teriyaki sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks in an airtight container.

During the summer months Bruce and I fire up the barbecue nearly every weekend. Chicken, steaks and ribs are the usual fare. Chicken is my favorite and pork ribs are Bruce’s favorite. Sometimes, if I feel like it, I’ll make both. Any leftovers from a Sunday afternoon barbecue makes some of the best lunches during the work week.

Okay, now that I have your attention, (and this is directed to all you “barbecue purists” out there) don’t laugh and don’t turn your nose up at this. Seriously… I know that the sauce is not made from scratch however, my adaptation of a store bought barbecue sauce makes these ribs taste deliciously easy. In my opinion, the combination of Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce and apricot preserves makes an amazingly tasty sweet and tangy barbecue sauce. Trust me. Without a doubt, once you try it, I’m quite sure that you’ll want to make these ribs again. Enjoy! Tessa

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Wash and trim pork ribs and pat dry. Put ribs on foil lined baking sheet. Sprinkle ribs with salt and pepper. Tightly cover ribs with additional foil. Place in oven for 2 hours or until ribs are very tender. Preheat barbecue grill. In a small bowl mix together the apricot preserves and store bought barbecue sauce. Place ribs on medium high barbecue and mop ribs liberally with the sauce. Ribs are done when you get a desired char. The ribs should only take about 10-15 minutes on the BBQ. Serves 4 – 6. Enjoy!

Chicken Satay. Now close your eyes and repeat after me. Saa-taay… While you are saying it, just imagine hot, juicy, succulent, flavorful barbecued chicken on bamboo skewers drizzled with peanut sauce. Close your eyes and say it again. Saa-taay…

Did I just catch you drooling?

If you have never had satay before, satay is an amazingly flavorful barbecued dish that is generally of Southeast Asian origin. It is prepared with many different ingredients such as chicken, beef, shrimp, lamb, fish, pork, goat and even tofu. One of my favorite ways to prepare satay is with chicken. I like to use bits of boneless, skinless chicken thighs marinated for several hours in coconut milk, Indonesian soy sauce and a variety of spices. I then thread the chicken on to the skewers and cook them on the barbecue.

I like to serve my Chicken Satay with my homemade peanut sauceor drizzled with sweet chili sauce or sriracha. I also serve it with a scoops of fluffy jasmine rice and fresh sliced cool cucumbers for garnish. I also make sure that there’s plenty of sambal oelek on the side for those who love fiery hot food. Makes 10 -12 skewers. Enjoy! Tessa

In a medium sized bowl whisk together all the ingredients except for the chicken. Once the marinade has been blended, add the chicken and toss well to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight. Take 10 -12 bamboo skewers and soak completely in water while the chicken is marinating. Soaking the skewers in water prevents the skewers from burning off while the satay cooks on the barbecue.

Thread chicken onto the skewers and cook on medium hot barbecue or grill pan until the juices run clear or the chicken reaches 170 degrees Fahrenheit. Toss any remaining marinade. Do not brush it on the chicken while cooking and do not even think about reusing it. Pay attention and turn your skewers occasionally for even cooking. Be sure not to over cook or under cook the satay. Makes 10 -12 skewers.

Bruce and I lead very busy lives so cooking dinner on weekday evenings can be a crazy mad scramble. I’ve learned over the years to prep what I can in the morning before work and by the time I get home in the evening all I have to do is toss together a salad, make a quick side dish and grill up dinner. Done. If there is any one dish that tastes great and easy to make, my Lemon Rosemary Chicken is one that fits the bill.

Fresh picked Rosemary from my garden.

To make the Lemon Rosemary Chicken, all you need is boneless skinless chicken thighs, fresh rosemary, fresh squeezed lemon juice, olive oil and some spices. Toss all the ingredients in a covered container in the morning before work, cover and refrigerate. Come home, pull the chicken out of the fridge, toss on a grill or grill pan, and cook until the juices run clear. See? I told you that it was easy… Enjoy! Tessa

Ingredients:

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs

1/8 cup olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 1/2 Tbs rosemary (chopped)

1 1/2 tsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp seasoning salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Toss all ingredients in a covered container and let marinade in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. Toss any remaining marinade. Place on medium hot barbecue grill or grill pan. Turn chicken when halfway cooked. Cook until juices run clear or the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 170 degrees Fahrenheit. Pull from grill, let chicken rest for about 5 minutes covered, garnish with sprigs of rosemary and plate up. Serves 4 – 6 people.